Oklahoma football's crowd booed the team off the field entering halftime and chanted "fire Arbuckle" during the Sooners' 14-6 win over New Mexico on Saturday, Sept. 19.
The frustrated crowd might also be the reason Oklahoma scored a second touchdown against the Lobos, at all.
Quarterback John Mateer threw a 53-yard touchdown pass to Isaiah Sategna in the third quarter, which was one of the few explosive plays of the night for a Sooners offense that continues to operate poorly this season. Mateer said he nearly missed Sategna before the crowd started yelling.
"So, the middle safety came down to fit the run, we had a run fake," Mateer said after the game. I
was late to it, I looked left and I kind of skipped over to the third read and I kind of heard everybody screaming and I was like, 'Well, something must be going on.'
"I see Isaiah — I'm serious — put his hand up and I see him. ... Normally you don't hear it but sometimes, yeah."
That postgame presser offered lots of comments that were cause for concern, but this one takes the cake. pic.twitter.com/lyKk21UZrH
— Cayden McFarland (@caydenmc) September 20, 2026
It's not uncommon for quarterbacks to miss an open receiver downfield, as it happens in nearly every football game across every level at times. But it has been a common occurrence this season for Mateer, who has struggled mightily to open his fifth season and third year as a starter in college football.
Mateer completed 19-of-25 passes for 238 yards with two touchdowns to two interceptions against the Lobos, with a large chunk of those yards coming on a 29-yard touchdown pass to Hayden Hansen in the second quarter and his touchdown pass to Sategna.
Oklahoma hasn't touched the ball inside the red zone in over eight quarters, dating back to its 51-0 Week 1 win over UTEP. Mateer has six touchdowns to three interceptions this season, including an interception that led to Michigan's game-winning touchdown late in the fourth quarter of their 17-10 win vs. the Sooners in Week 2.
Mateer — who was highly sought-out after entering the transfer portal from Washington State — battled injuries last season, but still led the Sooners to a College Football Playoff berth. He garnered preseason hype due to entering the season at full health, but hasn't looked much better than he did while he played through a thumb injury he suffered early during the 2025 campaign.
Mateer and Oklahoma don't have much time to figure things out offensively, with their next two games against No. 2 Georgia on the road and archrival No. 1 Texas to open conference play, respectively. It's clear Mateer knows he has things to clean up before then.
"I'm tired of getting up here and saying I keep making mistakes," he said after the game. "I believe it will change, I do. I'm being tested, but I believe I'll persevere."
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: John Mateer didn't see his wide-open WR. The Oklahoma crowd pointed him out
